The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems (IHSs), and more particularly to a packet transfer system for IHSs.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an IHS. An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP)/Ethernet protocol stack has become the communication protocol of choice for a wide variety of IHSs. In fact, it has become so ubiquitous that is used in many applications where Ethernet may not necessarily be the optimal choice for an under-layer protocol. For example, Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) systems are commonly used to connect server IHSs together for local communications within a server rack or server chassis, and those conventional local communications are enabled by tunneling TCP/IP/Ethernet inside the PCIe transport layer. This involves a source server IHS in the server rack/chassis sending a data packet that includes TCP/IP/Ethernet information to its associated Network Interface Controller (NIC) (a “first” NIC) over PCIe, the first NIC using the Ethernet information to send the data packet out of the server rack/chassis and over a network to a router, the router using the IP information to route the data packet back to the server/rack chassis to a NIC (a “second” NIC) that associated with a destination server IHS in the server rack/chassis, and the second NIC sending the data packet over PCIe to the destination server IHS. Communicating in such a manner introduces unnecessary protocol layering and inefficiencies.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved packet transfer system.